DEFRA
I was invited by DEFRA to participate in their Litter Strategy for England: Litter Forum on 10th May. This produced some encouraging results. Read more
Litter sting operation on A13
The A13 is the main route from the M25 to the land-fill site at Pitsea near Basildon and the subject of several of your complaints to Highways England.
Following further complaints from the London Borough of Thurrock, Essex Police mounted a one day operation in March targeting inadequately netted waste transport vehicles. 13 drivers were given £100 Fixed Penalty Notices for insecure loads (n.b. not for environmental offences).
I have been invited by Essex Police to observe a repeat exercise later this month.
On-the-spot fines
I met in May with Mike Fisher, the ex serious crimes DI who has pioneered the provision of contract litter enforcement personnel. His company have issued 70,000 Fixed Penalty Notices. Their arrangements with councils are now often on a no net cost basis with the fines covering the cost of the service.
It means that something really positive can be done to combat the scourge of littering without any additional burden for us council tax payers. See Kingdom Environmental